Players in the forthcoming Six Nations will wear smart mouthguards to detect head injuries that require off-field assessments.
The technology will provide live updates on the players, and medics will be alerted when a player needs to be removed for a head injury assessment (HIA).
Custom fitted mouthguards will be provided to each player to be worn during both training and matches throughout the competition.
The smart mouthguards will become an additional safeguard for player protection, and will not replace any existing HIA protocol.
They were first trialled during the WXV last October, a new women’s international rugby union competition. During the trial, Eanna Falvey, World Rugby’s chief medical officer, said the technology could potentially identify concussions that only come to light after a match.
Following the WXV, World Rugby announced that the technology will be implemented in all elite rugby competitions from January 2024.
Prioritising player welfare
Julie Paterson is director of rugby at Six Nations Rugby. She said: ‘Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations are focused on driving the game wide commitment to prioritise player welfare and innovate in this area, to ensure we are using the latest technology and enhancing our processes where relevant, to protect the players.
‘The technology around instrumented mouthguards has been developed extensively over recent seasons through the work undertaken by World Rugby.
‘The ability to expand the HIA process to incorporate this technology is testament to the player welfare commitment across the game.
‘Their introduction into the championship this year has been through collaboration with all six unions, leagues, clubs and the players. This highlights the positive steps being taken when rugby comes together with a shared objective to support the game and its players.’
The 2024 Six Nations kicks off on 2 February.
What are your thoughts on this story? Contact [email protected]
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
